Chapter 278
Everyone swallowed hard.
In the Magus Empire, the one with the most outstanding skill at forcing a confession from a subject was, without a doubt, the Venomous Demonic House. With the Head of the House himself taking action, there was no possibility that the two could resist.
Duke Huam administered the poison. It was a miracle-level poison with the mixed effects of suppressing the binding spell placed on the two and forcing them to speak the truth.
“Who is the mastermind behind you?”
Everyone swallowed hard, and finally, the two men opened their mouths.
“…It is the Demon King of Azure Flow.”
And so, the mastermind behind the incident was revealed in front of everyone.
A silent shock spread throughout the hall.
A heavy silence, in which one could hear a pin drop, descended. That’s how shocking the name was.
‘Actually, that’s a lie.’
Chris whistled to himself.
The real mastermind behind this incident was Chris. So why was the Demon King of Azure Flow’s name coming up here?
‘Because it’s true that the Demon King of Azure Flow was up to something.’
The Demon King of Azure Flow’s goal is the Three Primordial Wells. So she had spent a long time in advance preparing to take the Flame of Ruin by winning over those two. Chris, knowing this fact, had pinned the crime on the Demon King of Azure Flow.
‘Well, she can’t feel too wronged. The Demon King of Azure Flow was trying to cause a disaster for the Destruction Demonic House in her own way, after all.’
Grand Duke Vessian stuttered in shock.
“What… that can’t be?”
“It is likely true.”
Duke Huam shook his head.
“The disaster that occurred at my Venomous Demonic House also had the Demon King of Azure Flow as its mastermind.”
“!!”
Chris also chimed in from the side.
“Although it is not known to the public, a great disaster nearly occurred at our Dark Demonic House as well because of the Demon King of Azure Flow.”
Everyone from the Destruction Demonic House shut their mouths.
But that was only for a moment. Soon, a fiery rage erupted.
“How could a Demon King do this to us!”
“We must not let this stand!!”
Grand Duke Vessian’s anger, in particular, was immense.
“How dare she. Even if she is a Demon King, I will not let her be.”
But a cold, cynical remark was heard, pouring cold water on them. It was Christian.
“And how will you do that? Aren’t you in a position where you should be worrying about the immediate annihilation of your house, let alone getting revenge on a Demon King?”
“!!”
Grand Duke Vessian and the other magi of the Destruction Demonic House sent sharp glares toward Chris.
But Chris did not retract his words.
“Am I wrong? You all know it well, don't you? That the Destruction Demonic House has no way of stopping the upcoming third eruption with its own power.”
“……”
“Without even being able to attempt revenge, the Destruction Demonic House will turn to ash and disappear. Just as the Demon King of Azure Flow wished.”
Grind.
Grand Duke Vessian ground his teeth, but he couldn't raise his voice like before. It was because every single word was correct.
But then, Chris said something unexpected.
“I have a way.”
“…What did you say?”
“I’m saying I have a way to calm the Flame of Ruin.”
“!!”
The hall began to murmur. Everyone looked at Chris as if asking what kind of nonsense he was spouting.
“It’s simple. I just have to absorb the Primordial Well of the Flame of Ruin.”
“After all that, this is what you say? Do you think we haven’t thought of that? It’s impossible.”
“Why is it impossible?”
Grand Duke Vessian’s eyebrow twitched.
“The situation is different from the past. The Flame of Ruin now contains hundreds of years of condensed energy.”
This wasn't a matter of talent. There is a limit to the amount of energy a human can accept, and the Flame of Ruin now held an amount that far surpassed it.
“No matter how great you are, as long as you are a mortal, your vessel has its limits. It is impossible to accept the energy of the Flame of Ruin.”
He wasn’t wrong.
‘He’s certainly right that it would be impossible, even for me, to accept such an absurd amount of energy.’
But Chris continued with his incomprehensible story.
“There’s no need to accept the energy of the Primordial Well into my body. There are other ways to utilize it.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“A detailed explanation is difficult as it’s a trade secret. However, what I can tell you for certain is that I can calm the eruption of the Flame of Ruin.”
Everyone from the Destruction Demonic House shut their mouths tight. Their eyes were filled with disbelief.
“Or do you people of the Destruction Demonic House have another way? If you continue to be stubborn like this, you’ll all just turn to ash.”
“……”
“If you intend to be wiped out as a house, unable to even get revenge, just as the Demon King of Azure Flow plotted, then I won’t say any more.”
When Chris brought up the Demon King of Azure Flow, they all ground their teeth. But even then, they didn't readily nod their heads, because they simply couldn't believe Chris’s words. Even they, who specialized in the energy of destruction, didn’t dare to touch the Primordial Well of the Flame of Ruin in its current state. So what was with his bottomless confidence?
Just then, Duke Huam interjected.
“Grand Duke Christian has performed a miracle at our Venomous Demonic House as well. So I suggest you try believing in him.”
Grand Duke Vessian finally agreed.
“Fine. I will give you a chance…”
But Chris cut him off, shaking his head.
“No, that’s not it.”
“…What?”
“I think you’re misunderstanding something. I am here to save the Destruction Demonic House. But you offer me a ‘chance’? Don’t you think there’s something wrong with your choice of words? Anyone would think I was in a position to be begging.”
“…What do you want me to do?”
Grand Duke Vessian had never in his entire life had to ask for anything. It was impossible to expect him to suddenly adopt a polite, pleading attitude now.
That wasn't what Chris wanted either.
“The world is about give and take. If I am giving my help, there must be something I get in return. There is a price I want from the Destruction Demonic House.”
“…What is it that you want? Treasures of the main house? The secret arts of our dark magic?”
“You think too small. I am saving the entire Destruction Demonic House; a price like that doesn’t match the weight of the deed.”
A weight that matched the entire Destruction Demonic House.
Just as everyone was wondering with puzzled faces what kind of demand he was about to make, Christian said something completely unexpected.
“The sincerity of the Destruction Demonic House.”
“…What?”
“Promise me, here and now. That if I save the Destruction Demonic House this time, you will acknowledge our Dark Demonic House as your true overlord.”
“!!”
Chris looked straight into Grand Duke Vessian’s eyes and spoke.
“For the Destruction Demonic House to truly stand under the banner of our Dark Demonic House. That is the price I demand from the Destruction Demonic House.”
* * *
First, he had everyone move away from the vicinity.
‘They can’t see what I’m about to do.’
Everyone accepted his words, as they didn't know what dangerous, unexpected situations might arise when he was actually accepting the Primordial Well of the Flame of Ruin.
But before she left, an unexpected person approached Chris.
“Thank you.”
It was the Vice-Head, Yesika.
‘Didn’t she hate me?’
When Chris showed a surprised expression, Yesika scoffed.
“Of course, I don’t like you. But I know how to acknowledge an outstanding Magus. And above all, it is a fact that you are risking danger for the sake of our house. Thank you.”
Yesika continued with some unexpected words.
“The Lord of the House probably feels the same way about acknowledging you.”
“He certainly doesn’t look like it.”
“Our Lord of the House is the kind of man whose pride will never let him say he acknowledges another. He’s a stubborn old man. But he is not blind. He is well aware of how great you are.”
Yesika’s expression changed.
“I’m asking you, please, you must succeed.”
“……”
“There is no other hope besides you.”
Chris nodded his head.
“Please don’t worry.”
He gave a smirk. It was a smile filled with confidence, one that conveyed a strong conviction.
“You should just be getting ready to properly stand under the banner of our Dark Demonic House. Because we won't be able to survive the coming calamity unless we join forces.”
Yes.
There were many enemies they had to fight together. The Four Kings’ Castle, the Mystic Demonic House, and perhaps even the Demon Emperor’s Central power.
‘Of course, the very first enemy we must join forces to eliminate is the Demon King of Azure Flow.’
Chris looked at the roiling, boiling Flame of Ruin.
‘This is where it gets important.’
The outcome of the battle with the Demon King of Azure Flow would be decided by whether he could perfectly obtain the Primordial Well this time or not.
‘No matter if three houses join forces, our opponent is a Demon King, after all.’
Therefore, Chris planned to obtain a ‘weapon’ here and now that could deal a decisive blow to the Demon King of Azure Flow.
“Lord Kashmir.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Let’s begin.”
Once all the members of the Destruction Demonic House were gone, Chris activated the artifact.
A radiance, along with the faint sound of music, began to swirl around Chris’s body. It was the effect of the ‘Seven-Colored Treasure’, a legendary artifact that was stored in the treasury of the Destruction Demonic House, which temporarily spiritualized the wearer’s body, making it like a ghost’s. In other words, he would be unaffected by the actions of physical attributes and could avoid taking damage even in the lava.
“I’m going in.”
The bodies of Chris and Kashmir fell into the boiling flames.
It had begun.
* * *
Originally, when the members of the Destruction Demonic House approached the Primordial Well of the Flame of Ruin, they would dominate the movement of the lava with the energy of destruction, preventing it from harming them, and move to the depths of the lava. It was an extremely dangerous tightrope walk where a single moment’s failure in dominating the lava would result in death.
‘That’s why they say many died before even reaching the Primordial Well of the Flame of Ruin.’
It made sense that the Demon King of Red Heaven would go out of his way to seal the Flame of Ruin.
‘Well, I could do it that way too if I had to, but I don’t have the luxury of wasting energy unnecessarily. I have to mobilize every bit of help I can get.’
In that respect, the Seven-Colored Treasure was the most suitable artifact for the current situation. However, as is common with this type of artifact, there was a time limit.
‘I’ve used other artifacts from the Destruction Demonic House along with it to extend the duration as much as possible, but I still won’t be able to last long. I have to finish everything in 30 minutes at the latest.’
For reference, the artifacts he used this time would be damaged by the heat of the lava and would all become unusable.
Besides that, there was another problem.
[Lord Kashmir, please stop for a moment.]
[What is that?]
Since they were inside the lava, the two communicated their intentions to each other through message magic. For reference, they were also using their demonic energy to substitute for their sight and hearing.
Kashmir flinched to a halt. He had sensed a giant ‘something’ writhing in the lava below.
[It is the sealed Fallen Star, the ‘Fallen Ruin’.]
[!!]
Chris focused his demonic energy and expanded his vision even further.
He saw wings so large they covered the entire bottom of the crater. Countless chains were piercing through the wings over and over, and the giant-like body had no limbs, but was engraved with dense sealing magic circles.
The seal on the Flame of Ruin had a dual structure, divided into the external sealing formation outside the crater, and the sealing formation carved directly onto the Fallen Ruin. The sealing formation that Chris had the priests of the Fanatic Order destroy was the external one.
However, the sealing formation carved onto the body of the Fallen Ruin was also partially damaged, and there was a reason for it.
‘This is the handiwork of the Demon King of Azure Flow.’
The Demon King of Azure Flow had planned to weaken the seal carved onto the body of the Fallen Ruin to release a portion of the Fallen Ruin’s power. Since the Fallen Ruin was originally a Great Being of the 4th Celestial Realm, if even a part of its power were to leak out, the Destruction Demonic House would suffer catastrophic damage, and her plan was to take the Primordial Well of the Flame of Ruin in that opening.
‘In my actual previous life, a portion of the Fallen Ruin’s power leaked through the weakened seal, and a scene from hell unfolded at the Destruction Demonic House.’